Means for holding shoe uppers in lasted position



c. F. PYM 1,987,638

MEANS FOR HOLDING SHOE UP PERS' IN LAS'I'ED POSITION Jan. 15, 1935.

Original Filed Jan. 12, 1929 A/l/EA/TUF lw F f a, A; M; O

' filed on January '12, 1929.

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR/HOLDING SHOE UPPERS IN LASTED POSITION Charles Pym, Beverly, Mass, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Littleway Process Gem-- pany, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachu'setts Original application January 12, 1929, Serial No.

332,156. Divided and this application November 7, 1930, Serial No. 494,152

22 Claims. (Cl. 12-107) This invention relates to means for use in the manufacture of shoes for holding the uppers in lasted position, this application being a division of a copending application Serial No. 332,156, The invention relates more particularly to means adapted for use temporarily in holding or clamping engagement with a portion of an upper on the bottom of a shoe to.

maintain the upper in lasted position until conditions are such that it will remain in that position Without the aid of extraneous fastening or holding means, as a result, for example, of the hardening of the box toe stiffening material in the lasting of toes having material of that character overlying the insole, or as a result of the hardening or setting of cement between the upper and the insole when cement is applied. The invention is herein illustrated more especially in its application tothe lasting of toes in the manufacture of shoes of that type in which the margin of the upper is lasted inwardly over an insole in generally parallel relation to the shoe bottom, preparatory to the fastening of an outsole directly upon the lasted margin, for example by through-and-through stitching such as in McKay-sewed or Littleway shoes; but it is to be understood that it is not limited to: the manu' shoe bottom and clamping it down upon the More particularly, as illustrated,'. the

upper. clamp member comprises a plate formed to extend in substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom at the toe end of the shoe and having an edge contour generally similar to that of the edge of the toe end of the shoe bottom, the plate having an opening therein to receive fast'ening means penetrating the shoe bottom and engaging the outer face of the plate, 1. e., that facewhich is on the opposite side from the shoe bottom. In one form illustrated the plate is a single piece extending around the toe, while in another form it comprises two parts relatively movable for better adjustment to shoes of different widths. The clamp member or plate herein shown is so formed as to engage the margin of the upper continuously around the end of the shoe bottom over an area extending from the edge of the upper outward substantially as far as the edge of the insole, although in more general aspects the invention is not limited to a clamp member of that particular character.

In accordance with a further feature, the "illustrated means for fastening the clamp member in upper-"holding position comprises a rotatable member which acts to press the clamp member firmly upon the shoe bottom, the construction shown comprising a screw which extends through a hole in theinsole into a thread ed bushing fixed in the last with the head of the screw overlapping the clamping plate.

The invention will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawing and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view or a portion of a bed-lasting machine of a well-known type, illustrating how the margin of theupper at the tee is wiped inwardly over the insole before the clamping means provided by this invention is applied to the toe end of the upper, and illustrating also how similar clamping means maybe applied at the heel end;

Fig. '2 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 1, showing the clamp member applied to the toe end of the upper;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section illustrating more in detail how the clamp member is applied and showing the interior construction of the last;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the clamp member illustrated in Figs; 2 and 3 and also showing the screw for fastening it in clamping position; i i

Fig. -5 shows another form otclamp member comprising portions adjustable relatively to each other; and

Fig. 6 shows the forepar-t of a shoe as .it appears after the clamping means has been-removed, .a portion of the insole and of the last structure being broken away to show how the metal bushing in the last is locked to prevent it from turning. c g

The drawing illustrates the lasting of the toe end of the shoe as effected by the use of a bedlast-ing machine of a well known type, features of which are disclosed in various United States 'Letters Patent, including Letters Patent 'No. 1,284,870, granted on November 12, 1918 upon an application of Matthias Brock. The machine, as illustrated, is so constructed as to wipe the margin of upper at the toe end inwardly over the It will beund'erstood that thelast. with its shoe faces of the last at the time when the wipers are operated to wipe the margin over the insole. It

will be understood that the toe-lasting means,

comprising the toe band and the wipers, is movable heightwise of the shoe by means of a treadle (not shown), and. that the wipers 14are utilized in this movement to wipe the upper heightwise of the toe before wiping it inwardly over the insole. By the same 1 means the wipers may also be pressed downwardly toward the shoe bottom after they have been moved-inwardly over the insole by the hand leverw After the margin of the upper materials has been wiped inwardly over the outer or bottom face of the insole, ,and preferably after the wipers have been withdrawn only to such aposition as stillto engage the overwiped margin of the upper near the edge of the; shoe bottom and thus to hold the margin in its-inwardly bent condition, thereis applied to' the shoe, for purposes of this invention, a clamping device or member shaped, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 4, this member comprising aplate 18 formedto lie flatwise over the margin of the upper in-substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom and having a permanent ed e Contour similar to that of the edge of theetoeportion of the shoe bottom, so that the platemaybepositioned inside .of and close to the edges of the wipers when the wipers are positioned as above described. It will. be understood, however, that theplatelS need not have .exactly the same edgecontour as the edgeof the shoe bottom, and it is further contemplated that'the same plate may be used on shoesof a number of different'sizes or widths. In theform herein shown the plate 18 has a plane upper-engaging face formed for continuous engagement with the margin of the upper about the toe from one sideof the toe to the other side over an area extending from the edge of the upper outward substantially as far, at least, :as' the edge of the insole. The plate is a substantially rigid member adapted to apply effective clamping and holding pressure to the margin of the upper materials, all around the toewhen'the plateis forced downwardly toward the bottom of the last and is fastened in clamp ing position by the means hereinafter described. 1 The' -means herein shown for pressing the clamping plate 18 toward the bottom face of the last to bring heavy pressure to bear upon the margin of the upper materials, and for fasteningthe plate in clamping position to hold it after the shoethasbeen removed, from the machine, comprisesascr'ew 20 arranged to extend through an opening or slot 22 located midway between the opposite sides of the plate18 and into an interiorly 'thre'aded metal .bushing 24 secured in the last, the screw passing through a hole, 26 previopllyprovided in the insole alin position to aline with the threaded recess in the bushing 24. As illustrated, the screw and slot are located farther inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom than the upper-engaging portion of the plate 18. The screw ZO-may be .inserted, if desired, before the plate 18 is applied over the margin of the upper,

' with the head of the screw upraised, as illustrated Fig. 1, far enough to permit the plate to be angularly in relation to the screw to position it in the desired relation to the margin of the upper and the edges of the wipers. After the plate has been properly positioned, the screw is turned by theuse of a suitable tool to cause its head portion which overlaps the plate to force the plate down toward the bottom face of the last and thereby-to bring heavy pressure to bear upon the margin of the upper materials. ,If desired, for example after the screw has been turned far enough to cause theplate to hold the margin of the upper materials effectively against displacement, the wipers 14 may be raised and advanced over the outer face of the plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3, andthen forced down by the action of their operating treadle to assist in applying the plate to the margin of the upper with the desired pressure, the screw being further turned while the wipers are thus acting so as to maintain on the upper the pressure thus applied. Thereafter the wiperswill be retracted,leaving the plate applied to the shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and then the shoe will be removed from'the machine and put aside until the margin of the upper materials has set in lasted position. It will be evident that the clamp member or plate is thus secured by the screw 20 in clamping relation to the bottom of the last, i. e., so that the plate cooperates with the last in pressing the margin of the upper upon the insole and in maintaining the pressure.

The toe portion of the shoe herein shown, as illustrated in Fig. 3, includes in its upper materials (herein frequently referred to generally as the upper) abox toe stiffener b between the upper leatherc and the lining d. The stiffener may include in its composition cementitious stiffening material as'it isfcustornary to use in box toes, adapted tobe treated by heat or by a solvent prior to lasting. When such stiffening material is present in that portion of the upper materials that is lasted inwardly over the insole, as herein illustrated, it will maintain, after hardening, the shape {imparted to it under pressure of the plate .18, and under the pressure some of the stiffening the upper, cement may be applied, as is frequently thepracticein the lasting'of toes, for securing the upper to the insole. Furthermore, it is contemplated that under'some conditions the margin of the upper materials will become so effectively set in lasted position under the heavy pressure of the plate 18 that no cement or the like will be necessary to hold the upper in lasted position.

After the margin of the toe end of the upper has remained underthe clamping pressure of the plate 18 a sufficient time for the purposes in view, the plate and the screw 20 are removed preparatory to the later manufacturing operations memes on the shoe. It will be evident that by the action of the plate 18 the upper is'notonly heldefiectively in lasted position all. around the toe, but is pressed smooth andilat upon the insole :so as to provide a good surface upon which to lay the outsole; When cement is used, moreover, the heavy pressure applied results in a very effective bond between. the upper and the insole.

It will be observed that the clamping plate .18, applied as hereinbefore described, is in a position in which its outer edge is spaced from the extreme edge of the shoe bottom, as illustrated lil'FiE. 3., since the plate is positioned inside of the edges of the wipers when the wipers are holding the upper near the edge of the shoe bottom. To position the plate in this relation to the shoe is of advantage by reason of the fact that there is noiclamping pressure over that portion of the upper which extends heightwise of the last at the edgesof the insole, such as might tend to relax the tightness of the'llasting :along the insole edge. As illustrated, the clamping pressure is confined to that portion of the margin of the upper materi'als that actually overlies the bottom face of the insole. It is to be understood, however, that the clamping means may be positioned in a difierent relation to the shoe materials than illus-- trated, ifsodesired.

- In the construction shown the metal bushing 24., which extends inwardly from the bottom face of the last, is exteriorly threaded to adapt it to be screwed into the wood of the last. In order to lock this bushing from turning in response to the tuning of the screw "20, the outer end or the bushing. is'so formed as to provide at its opposite sides straight :edge tacos, one of which is shown at 28 (Fig. '6), and to cooperate with these faces in holding the bushing from turning there is secured on the bottom of the toe end of the last, by means of one or more screws so (Fig. 3 a metal plate 32 having an opening therein to fit the end of the bushing and thus to lock the pushing in place. It will be evident that the plate 32 notonly prevents turning of the bushing, but also assists in holding it against the outward pull of the screw thereon.

If desired, a clamp member or plate of the form shown in Fig. 5 may be used, this member comprising two oppositeside portions 34 hinged together by a pivot stud 36 so that the two porti'ons may be adjusted laterally of the shoe for shoes of different widths. It will be understood that, except for this provision for adjustment, this form of clamp member will be used in all respects in the same way as the member 18 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

While the invention has been described above with particular reference to the lasting of the too, it is contemplated that similar upper-holding or clamping means maybe used at the heel end of the shoe. In Fig. 1 there is shown a portion of a -clamping plate 38, similar to the abovedescribed plate 13, applied to the heel end of the shoe. together with a screw 40 extending through a hole the heel end of the insole into a threaded bushing in the heel end of the last to hold the plate in clamping relation to the margin of the upper on the heel seat. It will be understood that for fastening the heel end of the upper in lasted position cement may be used in the same manner as hereinloefore described with reference to the toe. The heel end may thus be lasted while the shoe is in the bed-lasting machine, either before or after the toe is lasted.

The heel-clampmg plate 38, like the toe-clamping plate, will'remain on the shoe after the shoe has been removed from the lasting machine until conditions are such that the upper may be released from pressure without danger of displacement from lasted position.

The term margin as used in the claims with reference to the upper is intended to designate generally that portion of the upper which is lasted inwardly over the outer or bottom face of the insole.

The method involved in the use of the upperholding means herein described is claimed in the copending application or which this-application is a division. 1

Having described the invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Means for clamping the margin of an upper in lasted position upon an insole on a last, com

prising a substantially rigid clamp .memb'er ment with the last to clamp the member down upon the shoe bottom.

'2. Means for clamping the margin of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a plate formed to extend in substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom over the upper and removable prior to completion of the shoe, said plate being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and acting on the outer face of the plate to clamp it down upon the upper.

'3. Means for clamping the margin of an upper in lasted position upon an insole on a last, comprising a substantially rigid plate formed to extend in generally parallel relation to the shoe bottom over the upper, said plate having an a opening therein arranged to receive fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom for cooperating with the last to hold it in clamping relation to the upper.

4. Means for clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a substantially rigid clamp member for-med to lie over the upper on the shoe bottom and having a contour similar to that of the edge of the end portion of the shoe bottom, said member being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and applied in clamping relation to the outer face of the member after the member has been placed upon the upper and being removable prior to completion of the shoe.

5. Means forclamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole on aj'last, comprising a substantially rigid clamp member formed to lie over the upper on the shoe bottom and having a contour similar to that of the edge of the end portion of the shoe bottom, said member having an opening therein arranged to receive fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and cooperating with the last to hold the member pressed down upon the upper.

'6. Means .ior clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a clamp member formed to lie over the end of the shoe bottom in with the upper, said member being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom farther inwardly item the edge of the shoe bottom than the uppenengaging pertion of the member -to :fasten. thememberin clamping, position. r

- '7.,Means for clamping themargin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position uponan insole, comprising a substantially; rigid clamp member formed to lie over the upper on the shoe bottom and having a contour similar to that of the edge of the end portion ofthe shoe bottom, said member having an opening therein located farther inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom than its upper-engaging portion to receive fastening means; penetrating the shoe bottom for fastening it in clampingrelation to the upper.

8. Means for clamping the margin ofthe toe portion of an'upper in lasted position upon an insoleon a, last, comprising a substantially rigid clamp member having a contour similarto that of the edge of the toe portion of ,the. shoe bottom and formed to extend rearwardly overa portion onlyof thelength or the forepart of the shoe, said member being constructedqto cooperate with fastening means extending through the insole into the last and, clamping the member down upon the upper.

9. Means for clamping themargin of the toe portion of an upper in lastedposition upon an' hold'the member clamped upon the upper with firm pressure heightwise of theshoe allaround the toe. I

10, Means for clamping the margin of the toe portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a clamp member having apermanent contour similar to that of the edge of the toe portion of the shoe bottom and adapted to be removed from the shoe before an outsoleis applied,said member having an opening therein arranged'to receive fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and applied in such clamping relation to its outer face as to holdit pressed firmly down upon the upper all around the toe.

11. Means for clamping the margin of the toe portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a substantially rigid clamping plate having an edge contour similar to that of the edge of the toe-portion of the shoe bottom and having an opening therein substantiallymidway between the portions at the opposite sides of the toe to receive fastening meanapenetrating the shoe bottom for holding it in clamping position. y

12. Means for clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position over the plane outer face of an insole on a last, comprising a substantially rigid clamp member having a contour similar to that of the edge of'the end portion of the shoe bottom and formed to engage the inwardly extending margin of the upper over the greater portion of the width of said margin,

- said member being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and engaging the last and the outer face of the member to fasten the member in clamping position..

13. Means for clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position over the plane outer face of an insole on a last, comprisinga plate formed for substantially continuous engagement with the margin of the upper around the end of the shoe bottom ,over an. area, extending'from the edge of the upper outwardat least substantially as faras the edge of the inso1e',.said platebeing constructed to cooperate with fasteningmeans separate therefrom andpenetrating the shoe bottom to fastenitin clampingposition and being removable from the shoe before an outsole is applied. l

14. Means for clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole on a last, comprising a clamp member formed to lie over the upper on the shoe bottom, said member having an opening therein arranged to receive fastening means extending through the insole into the last and so formed as to.per-.. mit adjustment of the member relatively tothe fastening means .to position it in proper rela-, tion to'the shoe bottom.

15. Means for clamping the margin of an end' portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole on a last, comprising a plate formed to extend over the upper in substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom, said plate having a slot therein elongated in a direction lengthwiseof the shoe to receive fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom and to permit adjustment of theplate relatively to the fastening means. 7 a a 16. Means for clamping the margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an insole, comprising a clamping device having substantially rigid opposite side portions curved similarly to. the edge of the shoe bottom at the oppositev sides of the end of the shoe and movable relatively to each other widthwise of the. shoe, said device being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom to fasten it in clamping position.

17; Means-for clamping themargin of an end portion of an' upper lasted position upon an insole, comprising a clamping device having substantially rigid opposite side portions curved similarly tothe edge of the shoe bottom at the opposite. sides of the end of:- the shoe and pivoted together for relative adjustmentilaterally of the shoe, said device being constructed to cooperate with fastening means penetratingthe shoe bot-,- tom to fasten it in clamping position.

18. Meansjfor'clamping the margin of an upper in lastedposition upon an insole on a last, comprising a plate so formed as to adapt it 'tobe positioned flatwise in: substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom over the upper, and means extending through the insole into the last and cooperating with the :last and the outer face of said plate to hold theplate pressed toward the bottom of the last-.3 e

r 19'. Means for clampingthe margin of an end portion of an upper in lasted position upon an 20. Means for clamping the margin of an end portionof an upper'over the'bottom of a last,

comprising a clamping device portable with thelast in pressure-applying, relation to the margin of the end portion of the upper, and rotatable means constructed to -extend into the-bottom of the end portion of the last and to cooperate with the-last to press -said.;device against-the upper. 21. In apparatus for lastingshoes, a last have ing a recess in its bottom portion, a clamp member adapted to be applied over the bottom of the last to press the margin of an upper upon an insole on the last, and a rotatable member formed to enter said recess and by turning movement to cooperate with the last in pressing said clamp member upon the upper in a direction height- Wise of the last.

22. In apparatus for lasting the toes of shoes,

a last having a screw-threaded recess in the bottom of its forepart, a clamping plate formed to engage the margin of an upper about the toe to press it upon an insole on the last, and a screw formed to enter said recess and having a head for overlapping said plate to force it toward the insole.

CHARLES F. PYM. 

